The 1996-97 West Coast Hockey League season was the second season of the West Coast Hockey League, a North American minor professional league. Six teams participated in the regular season, and the San Diego Gulls were the league champions.
| GP | W | L | OTL | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Gulls | 64 | 50 | 12 | 2 | 400 | 210 | 102 |
| Anchorage Aces | 64 | 41 | 18 | 5 | 349 | 260 | 87 |
| Fresno Falcons | 64 | 38 | 20 | 6 | 313 | 254 | 82 |
| Bakersfield Fog | 64 | 33 | 26 | 5 | 345 | 325 | 71 |
| Reno Renegades | 64 | 16 | 43 | 5 | 252 | 418 | 37 |
| Alaska Gold Kings | 64 | 13 | 47 | 4 | 230 | 423 | 30 |
| Red Army (SKA-Amur Khabarovsk) [1] | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 56 | 55 | 15 |
| Taylor Cup-Semifinals | Taylor Cup-Final | ||||||||
| 1 | San Diego Gulls | 3 | |||||||
| 4 | Bakersfield Fog | 1 | |||||||
| 1 | San Diego Gulls | 4 | |||||||
| 2 | Anchorage Aces | 0 | |||||||
| 2 | Anchorage Aces | 3 | |||||||
| 3 | Fresno Falcons | 2 | |||||||
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). As of the 2024–25 AHL season, all 32 NHL teams held affiliations with an AHL team. Historically, when an NHL team does not have an AHL affiliate, its players are assigned to AHL teams affiliated with other NHL franchises.
The ECHL is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League. The league serves as a farm system to the American Hockey League (AHL) and National Hockey League (NHL).
The West Coast Hockey League was a professional minor ice hockey league active in the western United States from 1995 to 2003. The number of teams ranged from six to nine. The teams were located in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and Washington.
The 2003–04 ECHL season was the 16th season of the ECHL. This was the first season that the league would be known as only the ECHL instead of East Coast Hockey League after the absorption of the former West Coast Hockey League teams. The Brabham Cup regular season champions were the San Diego Gulls and the Kelly Cup playoff champions were the Idaho Steelheads.
The Colorado Gold Kings, previously known as the Alaska Gold Kings, were an American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Fairbanks, Alaska, and later Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Gold Kings were members of the West Coast Hockey League.
Stephen Paul Martinson is an American former professional ice hockey player and coach. He played 49 games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, and Minnesota North Stars between 1987 and 1992. The rest of his playing career, which lasted from 1981 to 1996, was spent in various minor leagues. After retiring as a player he turned to coaching, and his 1,123 career professional coaching wins are the most ever for an American born ice hockey head coach.
The San Diego Gulls were a professional ice hockey team based in San Diego, California, that competed in the West Coast Hockey League (WCHL) and later in the ECHL. The team, the third to use the Gulls nickname, was founded in 1995 immediately upon the departure of the IHL team of the same name. The Gulls played at the San Diego Sports Arena.
The San Diego Gulls were a professional ice hockey team based in San Diego, California, that competed in the International Hockey League. The team, the second to use the Gulls nickname, was founded in 1990. The Gulls played at the San Diego Sports Arena.
The Tacoma Sabercats were an American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Tacoma, Washington. The team began play in the West Coast Hockey League as of the 1997–98 season.
The San Diego Sabers are a junior ice hockey team and are a member of United States Premier Hockey League. The team is based in Carlsbad, California, and plays at the Carlsbad Icetown. The team was the fourth team to be known as the San Diego Gulls from 2008 to 2015 until it gave up the nickname to the American Hockey League San Diego Gulls before the 2015–16 season.
Sports in San Diego includes major professional league teams, other highest-level professional league teams, minor league teams, and college athletics. The San Diego Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB). San Diego FC begins play in Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2025. The San Diego State Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I (FBS). The Farmers Insurance Open, a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, is played annually at Torrey Pines Golf Course.
The 1995-96 West Coast Hockey League season was the first season of the West Coast Hockey League, a North American minor professional league. Six teams participated in the regular season, and the San Diego Gulls were the league champions. The Red Army, a touring Russian team, played in 12 games.
The 1997-98 West Coast Hockey League season was the third season of the West Coast Hockey League, a North American minor professional league. Nine teams participated in the regular season, and the San Diego Gulls were the league champions. In addition to league play, WCHL teams played regular season games against the Russian Superleague team CKA-Amur.
The 1999-00 West Coast Hockey League season was the fifth season of the West Coast Hockey League, a North American minor professional league. Eight teams participated in the regular season, and the Phoenix Mustangs were the league champions.
The 2000–01 West Coast Hockey League season was the sixth season of the West Coast Hockey League, a North American minor professional league. Nine teams participated in the regular season, and the San Diego Gulls were the league champions.
The 2001-02 West Coast Hockey League season was the seventh season of the West Coast Hockey League, a North American minor professional league. Eight teams participated in the regular season, and the Fresno Falcons were the league champions.
The 2002-03 West Coast Hockey League season was the eighth and last season of the West Coast Hockey League, a North American minor professional league. Six teams participated in the regular season, and the San Diego Gulls were the league champions.
Chad Wagner is a Canadian former professional ice hockey enforcer.
The San Diego Gulls are a professional ice hockey team based in San Diego, California, that competes in the American Hockey League (AHL). The team plays its home games at Pechanga Arena. The Gulls began play in the 2015–16 season. The team is an affiliate of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Anaheim Ducks.
The Bakersfield Condors are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) based in Bakersfield, California. The team is owned by and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers. The Condors play their home games at Mechanics Bank Arena. The AHL franchise is a relocation of the Oklahoma City Barons, which joined four other AHL franchises in 2015 as the basis to form a new Pacific Division in California.
